Residents' Association Chairman Maintains Appointment Was Accidental Six Months Into Role

The chairman of a residents' association on an estate of 86 homes in the north west of England has said that his appointment in April was "not something I went looking for", in a statement issued six days after he lost a vote of no confidence and remained in post.

The association was formed in 1991. It holds £3,140 in a building society account and pays for the cutting of the estate's grass verges and the Christmas tree at the entrance. Until April it had been chaired for twenty-two years by the same resident, who stood down at the annual general meeting, citing his age.

Seventeen residents attended that meeting. One of them had come to raise a single item under any other business. He left as chairman.

Since then the association has issued twenty-four weekly bulletins, adopted a revised constitution and carried out its first parking survey. Last Tuesday, thirty-five residents attended an extraordinary general meeting called to remove him.

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The Chairman's Account

I accidentally became chairman of the residents' association and I'd like a few things on the record

For the record, I went to that AGM with one item. A footpath on the east side of the estate that has been partly obstructed since 2019. I'd raised it by letter twice and I wanted it minuted. That was the extent of my ambitions.

When Brian stood down he asked for nominations. Nobody moved. He asked again. Nothing. The third time, I asked what would happen if nobody stood, because somebody had to ask. The treasurer read out clause 9. No chairman, no association. The money goes to charity and nobody cuts the verges.

I said, and I've been told I said, "Well, that can't happen. Someone will just have to do it." Brian said "Thank you, Martin." The treasurer seconded. Sixteen hands went up. I didn't vote. I'd like that noted.

I spent twenty-six years in building control, so once I'm responsible for something I read the paperwork. The constitution hadn't been reviewed since 1991. It referred to a fax number. Committee meetings needed five members to be quorate and there were two of us, me and the treasurer, so technically nothing the association had done since about 2008 was valid. We brought the quorum down to two. Somebody's since called that a power grab. It was a repair.

The bulletin goes out on Fridays. I did send one at ten to six in the morning and I accept that wasn't ideal. Any other business now has to be submitted in writing fourteen days before a meeting, which is the same notice I gave Brian about the footpath, twice, so I don't think anybody can say it's unreasonable.

The verge working group is me. I bought four tabards out of my own pocket. I still have three.

The parking survey took three weekends and every house got the same map. If some people didn't like seeing their van drawn on it, the answer is not to park it across the dropped kerb.

The first formal letter under the new boundary vegetation policy went to number 14. A lot has been made of the fact that number 14 is Brian. The policy doesn't know whose hedge it is. It was adopted properly, by a quorate committee, in May.

Then twenty-three households signed a requisition for an EGM and I called it within the twenty-eight days, which is more than the constitution strictly asks. Thirty-five people came. That's double the AGM. The motion passed thirty-one to four, and I accepted it.

Then Brian asked for nominations.

Nobody moved. He asked twice more. Under clause 9, as amended, an outgoing officer continues until the next AGM so the association doesn't fold. That wording was in the draft the committee approved in May. I just read it out.

I didn't ask for any of this. But I'd say to every one of those thirty-one people what I said in April. Someone has to do it. And there was a chair free at the front all night.

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What The Minutes Show

The minutes of the April meeting, circulated by the treasurer, record that "Martin (no. 31) indicated his willingness to take on the role", that the nomination was seconded, and that the motion was carried with one abstention. The item under any other business is recorded as "deferred to the incoming chair".

The treasurer confirmed that she seconded the April nomination and also signed the September requisition. She said she had "no regrets about either".

The outgoing chairman said he had cut the hedge back in August. He has since been asked to confirm this in writing.

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Why Nobody Stood

DP

Volunteer bodies tend to fill their senior roles through exactly this mechanism. The role is offered to the room, the room waits, and it goes to the first person who speaks, whatever they say. What is unusual here is that the room recognised the mechanism, called a meeting specifically to correct it, and then reproduced it in full.

KM

I would not describe this as a failed appointment. In six months an inactive organisation acquired governance, a communications cadence, a data-led parking picture and a compliance framework for vegetation. Thirty-five residents engaged with a single meeting. Most transformation programmes would regard that as a successful first phase. The stakeholder sentiment is a separate workstream.

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A Transport Perspective

GP

The railways resolved this long ago. If no qualified driver comes forward, the service does not run, and nobody is appointed to the cab because they asked why the train was late. The estate's footpath, I note, was not discussed at either meeting.

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On The Estate

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Community Poll

Community Poll

Latest reader breakdown

When did the residents' association lose control of the April meeting?

When nobody stood23%

When he asked what would happen31%

When it was minuted34%

It never had control12%